There was a lot of talk before the Oscars of revolution, watershed moments and breaking points. If there was a revolution though, it was a bloodless coup, as a lack of clear front-runners in most categories led to no shocking results. That being said, there were some notable “firsts” which had me wondering how the fuck it took so long. Here were my favourite moments.
A Fantastic Woman
If you only see one foreign language film this year, make sure it’s A Fantastic Woman!
At times it can be hard to watch as transgendered protagonist Marina (Daniela Vega) battles against her supporting cast for control of the narrative. This isn’t their story though, it's hers, and by the time credits roll Marina’s triumph is simply living life as her true self – not who anybody else wants her to be.
The win for “Best Foreign Language Film” was notable in itself as the first Oscar-winning film featuring a transgender storyline and an openly trans performer. This is hugely important because while the Academy has celebrated trans narratives and trans characters, never have they put an actual trans individual in the spotlight. And Daniela Vega also broke another barrier on Sunday, when she became the first transgender presenter of an award at the Oscars.
A Fantastic Woman is monumental as the first high-profile film that has a trans narrative that doesn’t show someone going through their transition. It might not seem a big deal to some, but for others it’ll mean everything, finally seeing a trans person on the big screen who isn’t playing a role, but simply being themselves.
Coco
It’s was no surprise to see Pixar’s latest blockbuster pick up the award for best animated feature, but it was heart-warming nonetheless. I loved the film, it was creative, funny, moving and the visuals were like nothing I’ve seen before. It was a testament to how powerful art (yup, I just called a Disney film art) can be when you let other cultures take the spotlight.
As I’ve said over and over again, representation fucking matters. This is one of the few chances Mexicans have had to see themselves onscreen and it not be filtered through the “white gaze”. As co-director Lee Unkrich said in his speech:
“With Coco, we tried to take a step forward toward a world where all children can grow up seeing characters in movies that look and talk and live like they do. Marginalised people deserve to feel like they belong. Representation matters.”
And for those who don’t think representation matters, just think back the Ghostbusters reboot and the recent Star Wars films – plenty of white men got upset, like really upset, that they weren’t being represented.
The Silent Project
If you hadn’t noticed by now, representation is a pretty huge theme of this year’s Oscars and The Silent Child being recognised was another great moment, as Masie Sly, who is deaf, was widely commended for her role.
Sadly, only two actors with disabilities have ever been given awards at the Oscars despite countless films featuring characters with disabilities being recognised.
Not only was the win a beautiful moment but I can’t imagine what it means for young people who are deaf to see sign language used at the Oscars.
Frances McDonald
I can’t say I’m at all surprised with the decision to give Frances McDonald the Best Actress award and I think it was thoroughly deserved.
Making room for other women during her acceptance speech really was a classy move and it’s always awesome to see that solidarity. Her shout-out to “inclusion riders” was lost on some but simply publicising the existence of such a thing puts power in the hands of those who want to make a difference.
It was also great to see her call out the performative allies in the industry. Reminding everyone that women are waiting to tell their stories and the place for producers to discuss these projects is in their offices – not just at afterparties or in interviews.
Get Out
Get Out just being nominated was HUGE, not just because it was made predominantly by black people, but because it presented racism as experienced by black people – the opposite of traditional Oscar-bait that’s always made for the “white gaze”.
And as much as I loved the film, I just couldn’t see it picking up any awards. But I was happily proved wrong and Jordan Peele became the first black writer ever to win Best Original Screenplay and only the 4th black writer to be nominated.
Just let that sink in, the first black writer to win that award over 84 Academy Awards.
Now go watch it!
The Let-Downs
I was super disappointed that The Florida Project was, for the most part, snubbed. I loved absolutely everything about this film and I can’t recommend it enough for the writing alone.
Seeing I, Tonya, Darkest Hour and The Greatest Showman anywhere near the Oscars really bums me out. I don’t think films should only be made about good people, but I am fed up with the whitewashing of awful people that happens so regularly.
In fact, this bothers me so much I’m dedicating a whole post to how Winston Churchill was an absolute trash human, who in any sane world be treated with the contempt as Hitler.
Lastly, seeing Kobe Bryant (accused of rape) and Gary Oldman (accused of domestic abuse) recognised at the Oscars left a bad taste in my mouth after all the #timesup hype. Celebrating these men is the antithesis of supporting survivors and it’s pretty much as simple as that.
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